News

Newly donated Jetstream touches down at RRC’s Stevenson Campus

October 22, 2015

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Red River College President Paul Vogt accepted the keys to a $1-million Jetstream aircraft this morning, at a ceremony held to celebrate the history of Alberta’s Swanberg Air, and the company’s generous contribution to staff and students at RRC.

The British Aerospace Model Jetstream 31, along with associated equipment, manuals and training aids, was donated by the Swanberg family of Grande Prairie, Alta., and Fort St. John, B.C., in memory of company founder Sylvan Swanberg and his wife, Dorothy.

The Swanbergs’ daughter, Ann Sawyer, together with her son Konnor and employees of Swanberg Air (now Landsman Properties), were on hand at RRC’s Stevenson Campus to announce the donation, made in support of the College’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) program, which trains students in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of fixed-wing planes and helicopters.

“Our family is very proud to be able to support the next generation of aircraft maintenance engineers,” said Sawyer. “Continuous education and hands-on training is so important in the aviation industry, and we’re happy the donation of the Jetstream 31 to Red River College will have a positive impact on students and industry.”

Vogt says the Jetstream will allow RRC to continue meeting the labour needs of the aerospace and aviation sectors.

“There is an increasing demand in the aviation industry for highly skilled graduates, and with Manitoba being home to the third largest aerospace sector in Canada, this working aircraft will enhance training opportunities,” said Vogt.

“We are grateful to the Swanberg family for their impactful donation, which allows students to train on state-of-the-art equipment and become leaders in their field.” Read More →

New student award creates seamless pathways for generations of Indigenous learners

October 22, 2015

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Applications are still being accepted for the College’s new Seven Generations Award, available to any Indigenous student who’s the descendant (or dependent) of an RRC alum.

Launched last fall by RRC’s Aboriginal Student Support & Community Relations team, the award seeks to create a seamless educational pathway for the next seven generations of learners. Two awards worth $500 each are available each year.

Application requirements include:

  • Must be a full-time student (and provide enrolment/registration letter)
  • Must be of Aboriginal ancestry
  • Must fill out a general RRC awards application
  • Must submit a 500-word essay, which includes an explanation of your relationship to the RRC grad in question, as well as a description of your career goals, community involvement and cultural awareness

Application packages can be dropped off at RRC’s Aboriginal Centre (F209, Notre Dame Campus). The deadline for submissions is Fri., Oct. 30.

For more information, please contact Joan Machendagoos at 204.632.2363 or amachendagoos@rrc.ca.

Shown above: Recent RRC grad Tynan Selkirk (at left) joins his father, fellow RRC grad Rob Selkirk, in announcing the launch of the Seven Generations Award at an Aboriginal alumni event in 2014.

RRC leads nation’s colleges in research partnership growth, ranks among Top 10 research colleges for third consecutive year

October 22, 2015

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Red River College ranks first among its Canadian contemporaries in the category of research partnership growth, and eighth overall on a new list of the nation’s Top 50 research colleges.

Announced today, the findings mark the third year in a row that RRC has placed in the Top 10 of the annual ranking, first released by Research Infosource in 2013.

Applied Research & Commercialization at the College continues to create and deliver more applied research and innovation resources for our partners and the communities we serve,” says RRC President Paul Vogt.

“Next to workforce-ready graduates, applied research offerings are key to our business community. They have led to many innovations in products, production methods and services delivered by Manitoba enterprises.”

Along with leading the nation in partnership growth (a new category), RRC increased its ranking in total number of research partnerships from twelfth to sixth, and total number of research projects from fifteenth to eleventh.

Read More →

Culinary grads score a clean sweep at Gold Medal Plates gala

October 21, 2015

OjjX6sH-rthtoaXq15ZtXd_W3pzP1pm4I2dDjZecBqY,DUSgDqwexQ30i-sHeivDfCpyisYI_IqV7WA2d1llzhYRed River College’s culinary winning streak continues, thanks to a recent sweep by our graduates at the prestigious Gold Medal Plates competition in Winnipeg.

Norm Pastorin, a 2002 alum of RRC’s Culinary Arts program, took the podium’s top spot at the Oct. 16 event, where he was joined by fellow grads Jesse Friesen (2009) and Melissa Makarenko (2006) in second and third place, respectively.

Pastorin (shown above at centre) is chef at The Cornerstone Bar and Restaurant in Osborne Village; Friesen (left) is chef at 295 York downtown, and Makarenko at Resto Gare in St. Boniface.

Pastorin’s winning dish — confit salmon with bacon-quinoa-salmon roe, pickled shallots, tamagoyaki and soy-ginger-anise glaze — earned him a gold medal at this year’s gala, which doubles as a fundraiser for the Canadian Olympic Foundation’s Own the Podium program.

Each year, the event finds local chefs battling each other and the clock — with just 90 minutes to prepare and serve their creations to 500 assembled guests.

Each chef also faces scrutiny from a panel of judges, which this year included RRC’s Jeff Gill (Director of Food Services at the College) and former staffers Mike Green (Peg City Food blogger and one-time Master Chef Canada competitor) and Luc Jean (chef at Mon Ami Louis, and winner of last year’s Gold Medal Plates competition). Read More →

College’s HR rep appointed to provincial advisory council on immigration, multiculturalism

October 20, 2015

275A human resources coordinator at Red River College is among those working to help newcomers to Manitoba achieve success, as part of a new provincial advisory council supporting government efforts to meet labour market needs.

Suenita Maharaj-Sandhu, Workplace Equity and Diversity Coordinator at RRC, will serve on the new Manitoba Advisory Council on Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, an amalgamation of the Manitoba Immigration Council and the Manitoba Ethnocultural Advisory and Advocacy Council.

Maharaj-Sandhu is serving on the Council’s Multiculturalism and Citizenship Committee, alongside members of the Winnipeg Police Service, the Manitoba Islamic Association, the Immigrant Centre Manitoba, and the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology.

She was recommended to the council through her longstanding work with organizations and individuals pursuing inclusion and diversity, including the RCMP Diversity Committee (of which she’s a member) and related groups such as Manitoba’s Islamic community. The new council members represent a diverse range of provincial sectors, including business, education, labour and social services.

“The Manitoba government is committed to helping newcomers succeed in our province,” Labour and Immigration Minister Erna Braun said in a written release last week.

“This new council will continue the good work of its predecessors by providing timely expertise and feedback to government as we work together to increase immigration to Manitoba to meet labour market needs, and to provide protection and resettlement for refugees, all of whom contribute to both our economy and our increasingly diverse and multicultural communities.” Read More →

RRC student named chair of United Way’s GenNext Council

October 8, 2015

Smoluk 2015Congratulations go out to Red River College student Adam Smoluk, who’s been named the new chair of the United Way of Winnipeg’s GenNext Council.

Smoluk, 35, is completing his Human Resource Management and Management Development studies through RRC’s School of Continuing Education.

As he explains, the GenNext program provides Winnipeg’s future leaders with an opportunity to become engaged in their community, while networking with like-minded individuals who share the same passion for the city. The council brings people together to create meaningful social change by providing tailored involvement opportunities.

“During my time on the council I’ve been proud of the dedication and determination of our GenNext membership,” says Smoluk, who’s served on the council since 2010. “I’m deeply honoured to serve and I’m looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”

Smoluk works as a program Manager for Film Training Manitoba and has served on the ACTRA Manitoba council and as an ACTRA representative on the Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL)’s Human Rights Committee. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Youth Employment Services and is the Vice-chair of Essential Skills Manitoba.

An award-winning filmmaker, Smoluk studied on scholarship at the British American Drama Academy at Oxford University. He is the youngest graduate ever of the National Screen Institute’s Features First Program; his past accolades include the Future Leaders of Manitoba award, an Investors Group scholarship for leadership studies at The Banff Centre, and the MFL’s prestigious Al Cerilli Scholarship.

College receives research grant to continue partnership on solutions for dust control

September 24, 2015

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Red River College has received a $65,000 research grant to continue product development work with a local company specializing in environmental solutions for dust control.

The Applied Research and Development (ARD) grant — awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) — will allow RRC’s faculty researchers, staff and students to collaborate with Cypher Environmental staff to continue development and testing of Dust Stop, their dust control and dust suppression product.

This project will significantly enhance R&D capacity at RRC by engaging staff in a challenging multi-disciplinary area of research. The knowledge and experience generated will enrich curricula and teaching in different departments at the College; student engagement will contribute to new applied learning and expose students to real life experiences.

Through the National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP), Cypher has been working with RRC researchers from Civil Technology (Neil Chandler) and Life Sciences (Aman Abrha, Said Hassan and Michael Judge) on different facets of product characterization and testing. Judge and Hassan will lead the next phase of the year-long NSERC ARD project, which commences this month. Read More →

College’s commitment to sustainability in building management earns Earth Award for HETC

September 24, 2015

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Red River College has been recognized for excellence in building management with a 2015 Earth Award from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada.

The award went to RRC’s Heavy Equipment Transportation Centre (HETC), and was presented in conjunction with BOMA’s national conference in Quebec on Sept. 17.

“We have an excellent Facility Management team and this award further demonstrates our hard work and dedication to sustainability,” says Tom Skraba, director of Facility Management at RRC. “I wish to congratulate the team for their tireless efforts.”

BOMA’s Earth Awards recognize excellence in resource preservation and environmentally sound commercial building management. During the selection process, BOMA evaluates a building’s ability to reduce overall environmental risk, provide good indoor air quality, practice green cleaning, recycling, and energy conservation.

HETC is one of the largest industrial training facilities in Manitoba, and one of the province’s most environmentally friendly buildings. Read More →

RRC pilots new International Educator program for staff

September 23, 2015

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In response to the ever-increasing demand for international education, Red River College has launched a new pilot program to provide staff with the tools and intercultural skills required to teach students from around the world.

“We’re truly a global college now,” says Eddy Lau, acting director of International Education at RRC. “We’re attracting more international learners every year, and our classrooms continue to become more diverse. As the College evolves, we have a responsibility to make sure our staff are prepared and have the right tools to facilitate learning for our international students.”

Launched over the summer, RRC’s new International Educator Certificate program helps instructors and staff develop their skills through a blend of workshops, practicums and online modules.

“We didn’t want to merely develop a seminar to help educators who are teaching international students,” says project manager Claudius Soodeen. “We wanted to create a program that would over time become a model in post-secondary education across Canada.” Read More →

NAOSH Week at RRC recognized with provincial award

September 23, 2015

17426533419_bd9d481a08_zFor the second year in a row, Red River College has been recognized for its efforts to mark North American Occupational Health and Safety (NAOSH) Week on campus.

On Sept. 15, RRC accepted a provincial NAOSH award for Best Representation of a Theme from SAFE Work Manitoba, the Workers Compensation Board, and various occupational safety and health professionals from across the province.

Held each spring, NAOSH Week finds employers, staff and partners throughout the continent promoting injury and illness prevention in the workplace. The theme of this year’s NAOSH Week, which ran May 3–9, was “Make Safety a Habit for Your Career.”

As always, the College planned a full slate of activities, including library and hallway displays, a lockdown awareness session, SAFE Work on Wheels demos, contests and a staff barbecue.

“While we are excited to have won this award, our main focus is building and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for our staff, students and visitors,” the College’s Environmental Health and Safety Services team said this week. “Meeting this goal is the true award.”

Last year, the College won a NAOSH Award for “Most Innovative” event programming from the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering. In 2011 and 2012, RRC’s NAOSH Week activities earned awards at both the provincial and national levels.

RRC Polytech campuses are located on the lands of Anishinaabe, Ininiwak, Anishininew, Dakota, and Dené, and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis.

We recognize and honour Treaty 3 Territory Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, the source of Winnipeg’s clean drinking water. In addition, we acknowledge Treaty Territories which provide us with access to electricity we use in both our personal and professional lives.

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